


Shall we dance?

by Buggirl



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-10 03:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11682744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buggirl/pseuds/Buggirl
Summary: On the eve of the Nexus leaving the Milky Way, Cora meets up with the Pathfinder team for celebration and a bond begins to form between her and Sara.





	Shall we dance?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ziskandra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziskandra/gifts).



> Thankyou to Solas-you-nerd and Venatohru for giving this the once over.

_Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf._

~ Rabindranath Tagore

* * *

Cora paces outside the series of elevators in the domed hall of the Grand Hotel in the heart of the city. Any remnant of paitence is tempered by the feeling that something is missing. A bag? A key? She taps an elegant black heel on the expanse of apricot tile and glances at the guests amassing around her. It’s been a long time since she was last on Earth, but from her temporary wardrobe in her meagre accommodation in the city, she’s managed to pull together an outfit for the night. The simple black leather pants show off her athletic form and a loose pale blue silk shirt billows behind her when a gust of wind comes in from the open door on the other side of the foyer. There’s dust on her high heels that indicate it’s been awhile since she last wore them, and her face feels sticky from too much pancaked foundation-- there’s usually no need for such a heavy application in her line of work. She makes an exception tonight, an occasion where she’s trying to look like she’s attending a party. Who knows, she might even have fun.

The elevator arrives to take them up to the twenty-first floor ballroom - the celebration-- the Nexus leaves tomorrow. She’s still not convinced that a party the night before departure is a good idea-- but she’s not the boss, and in her own mind there is weeks before the Hyperion will leave, time to recover if she has too much to drink. There’s no desire on her part to go into hyper sleep with a hangover.

She hopes the rest of the Pathfinder team are already here, she’s no good at small talk and it would be one of only two times previously she would meet Alec Ryder’s children, Sara and Scott, who, for some reason, Alec had trained elsewhere. There would be plenty of time to get to know them once they reach Andromeda. For now, she hopes for shoptalk, of drills and preparations for the weeks to come, it’s always easier.

Several people crowd into the small space of the elevator and Cora checks the capacity-- a habit from a lifetime ago where one failed because they were over maximum weight, the elevator plummeting four storeys before jerking to a stop on the second floor. Her gut still remembers the feeling and if she weren’t in heels, she’d walk all the way up if she could.

In the distance, running towards them, she sees a woman. She has long dark hair and is dressed almost identical to her, her shirt a shade darker blue but the same leather pants. She squints thinking she recognises her. The door closes before the woman gets close enough for Cora to know for sure it’s who she thinks it is-- her view partly obscured by a tall man in black tuxedo.

The ballroom itself makes for a stunning sight as she enters. The view over the city is painted by purple and orange hues across the concrete landscape, gorgeous and shimmering in the fading light.  Save for the green of the city’s parks the rest is dulled buildings and whizzing hovercars moving at transit space levels.

Fairy lights dangle down from the ballroom ceiling and provide a subdued glow over the parquetry dance floor. The venue is beginning to fill up faces she recognises, but more that she doesn’t. In the far corner, a partly elevated area that looks meant for VIPs is where she first sees Alec. He’s gesticulating, a drink in his hand and Jien Garson herself standing beside him, elegant in green silk dress and a neckline that plunges extremely low. She’s met Jien more than once, in more regimented attire. Cora can’t help but think how beautiful she looks.

When she approaches, she hides a growing smirk. Alec wears a dark tie with printed small galaxies scattered amongst tiny stars, so out of place to his work persona she wonders if someone else picked it for him. Next to him stands Scott, dwarfed in Alec’s shadow but ruddy faced like his father. His eyes glance over Cora then move on to others in the crowd.

“Alec,” Cora says loudly enough to cut through the few who are gathered.

“Cora!” There’s a wide smile across Alec’s face, yet another unfamiliar reaction. “Come--, you’ve met Jien of course.”

Cora extends her hand towards Garson. “Director. Pleased to meet you again.”

A warm smile crosses Garson’s face. “Always a pleasure to reacquaint myself with Alec’s protégée.”

Cora’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. _Protégée_. Well that’s the first time she’s heard that, and from the Director herself. She holds herself in check and returns the smile.

“Are you looking forward to the departure?” Garson asks.

Cora nods. “Yes, very much so, Director.”

Before Garson can speak again, someone taps her on the shoulder and whispers her into her ear. She turns towards Alec. “Excuse me for the moment, Alec, it appears that PR needs my attention.” She turns and leaves without waiting for a response.

Cora turns towards the door another crowd of people enter, resplendent in their formal attire, dresses swish elegantly, high ornate collars and people in tuxedos and ties. She sees the woman with the dark hair and almost identical outfit. When she comes closer she realises it’s Sara Ryder, taller than she remembers-- and Cora in heels the same height.

Sara sidles up to Alec. “Dad. Scotty.” Both Ryders nod.

“You made it, I thought you said you weren’t coming,” Scott says.

Sara shrugs. “I kinda got stood up.” She turns to Cora and her eyes roam up and down before landing on her face a warm smile across her lips, it reminds her of Alec, on a good day. “It’s been a while, Cora. But I see you have excellent taste in formal dress.” She smirks and crosses her arms.

Cora laughs an easy laugh, and she hasn’t even had a drink yet. She likes Sara, she remembers from the first time they met how easy she was to converse with, despite their differences in backgrounds, at heart she thought Sara an adventurer, even more so than Alec.

“Come on Cora, let’s get a drink.” Sara doesn’t wait for an answer.

They head towards the nearest waiter holding a tray of drinks. Both make for the only glass of Champagne left on the tray.

Sara chuckles. “Go ahead, I’ll start with the white wine.”

Cora makes to head back towards Alec but Sara nods towards the window, beckoning Cora to follow her to one of the many scenic views from the Ballroom windows. Dusk has hit and more pinpricks of light and neon glow in the background.

Sara sighs. “I think I might actually miss this. Will you?”

Cora toddles her head from side to side. “There'll be other sights, more glorious than this I’m sure. Maybe we'll find other species, with towns and cities and sights just like this. And it won't seem so alien after all. I think the further we move out of the galaxy we’ll realise how similar we are to other species in the universe, our hand wringing about our insignificance won't matter.”

Sara nudges her side. “That sounds, just like something an asari would say.”

Cora feels the rise in heat to her cheeks and takes sip of her champagne and she gives Sara a sheepish smile. “I guess they’ve rubbed off on me.”

The smirk that drapes itself over Sara’s mouth becomes wider. “Don’t worry won’t hold it against you.” She drains her glass and puts her hand up as another waiter with a full tray passes by. “I wonder when people will start dancing? How many drinks do you think it'll take to dislodge the sticks from some of their asses?”

“Dancing?” Cora’s brows furrow in confusion, and all she can think is how awkward she might find dancing in the heels she’s wearing, is she one of the ones Sara is talking about having a stick up their ass? She gives Sara an uneasy smile. She knows how to have fun. Well, she thinks she does.

* * *

Speeches have finished for the night and the assembled crowd become more raucous as the music changes to a louder beat. People move to the dance floor, bodies twist and turn in time with the music. The Pathfinder team have sequestered a corner, Dusty, David and Lani dance in a tight circle, taking turns to make flirty suggestive moves to one another. Cora finds herself dancing next to Liam and Scott, both drunker than her, their laughter infectious. Despite her inebriated state, Cora still feels a measure of stiffness where she should be relaxed and laughing too. Sara appears to be the only one coordinated amongst them and she watches mesmerised as Sara’s body bends with the beat, her silk shirt ebbing and flowing over her body, her hands dance like graceful swans over ripples of fast moving water.

Sara edges closer to Cora and leans into her ear. “Wanna slow dance?” she says in a slurred tone.

Cora turns her face to find Sara mere inches from her face and blissful smile across her lips. “It’s not really slow dance kinda music,” she replies. Not that she objects to dancing with Sara, but her heart flutters at the thought and the beat, just isn’t right.

“I hear ya, I hear ya,” Sara nods. “Maybe when the beat slows—I’d really like to dance with you, Cora.”

Cora nods in reply. “When the beat slows,” she repeats, only marginally oblivious to Sara’s flirt. It’s then she realises then Sara is drunker than she appears, and as her own head swims with alcohol, lights and a rhythmic tune her thoughts turn to her time with Talein's Daughters. She misses them more with each passing day, the camaraderie she had amongst other biotics, a sense that she finally fitted-- somewhere, was slowly slipping from her grasp.

Inside, large round mirrors and a luxury carpets lead into the bathroom proper. She stares at her reflection, the lip liner so perfectly applied has disappeared, and her eye makeup smudges across her temple. If anything, she’s as drunk as Sara and the rest of the Pathfinder team. “Best maybe I just dip out for the night,” she whispers under her breath. “Don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

“Far from it, Cora,” Sara says as she approaches from behind. “Everyone is looking a little— ridiculous. Liam is sitting on Scott’s shoulders at the moment, doing some interpretation of what they say is an old Prothean mating dance.” She giggles into her hand. “Sorry, I can be a little forward when I’m drunk and considering we’re gonna be working together I don’t want to act-- I just—yeah, well.” Sara scratches the back of her head. “You got such great dress sense and all.”

Cora turns and holds back a laugh. “You do too, Sara. Have great dress sense and all,” she says half drunken, half nervous and stuttering. The dull thud of the music tapers and Cora tilts her head to one side and she sighs. There is something about her Pathfinder team mate she can’t put her finger on. Sara makes her feel-- visible-- in Alec’s long shadow, her smile like a beam of light over her, her laughter compelling enough to reposition her away from the eclipse that is the human Pathfinder. When she watches Sara dance, the leather swells over her hips, making for exaggerated and enticing movement —even when drunk—this Ryder has grace and alacrity, a warmth and lightness she's not seen in her father. In her mind -- a brief moment in time-- her hand glows blue and skims over Sara's behind. The thought sends heat back to her cheeks again, she's sure she glows crimson not blue.

Maybe she'll regret it later, but this is one night, one of her last here on earth, so yes, she'll take a chance and let down her guard. There's six hundred years between now and the Andromeda Galaxy, time enough to make up for any faux pas and poor dance moves. “I think the beat's slowed down, shall we dance?”

A huge grin spreads across Sara’s features and she grabs Cora’s hand. “I thought you'd never ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the late (ish) addition - real life kicks you in the butt sometimes - I am considering expanding this story beyond this point - but it will depend on other committments!


End file.
